There is plenty of negative language online and in the media about the wider opening of schools in September. It’s all “time lost”, “falling behind” and “teaching missed”. While some parents will be thrilled to hand responsibility for learning back over to schools, it is not surprising that others are questioning that transition. 

Many schools are helping to put parents’ minds at ease by adopting a “recovery curriculum” - carefully selected prioritised learning outcomes combined with support for children’s social and emotional needs. 

But no matter how sensitively a child’s school is handling the September return, there will still be questions from parents as to how they can plan to support their child’s reintegration. 

Reopening schools: how to support young children

So what can schools advise parents to do? Here are the key ingredients that will make up a recovery recipe that can be adapted to support each child. 

1. Stick to familiar care where possible

If wraparound care can be avoided by parents teaming up with a different household bubble where children have mixed socially over the summer, then schools should advise parents to do this. The children will already be used to socialising together, making the hours around school less about navigating new personalities and social scenarios when they are already tired. 

2. Lower homework expectations

Now is the time to lower expectations for homework in the evenings. Parents can get pupils to read a sentence or two of the home reading book each night, instead of expecting the whole thing to be tackled in one sitting.

3. Rearrange priorities 

Is it more important that a family work together as a team in the mornings and evenings to ensure a clean house and clothes, or to rush out of the door and squeeze errands in before drop-off? Basic hygiene remains a household priority, especially to avoid a second wave in the colder months. But beyond this, it makes sense to advise families to prioritise the essentials.

4. Manage hobbies

Recommend reducing structured hobbies and weekend activities for the first term, at least, unless the familiarity of those routines was maintained during lockdown or re-established during the summer holidays. If those hobbies include school clubs, consider waiting to restart these until pupils have had a chance to settle back in.

5. Pass on feedback

Parents worked so hard to get to know their child academically during lockdown and they have the most up-to-date knowledge of their child’s behaviour for learning. Schools need to make the most of this knowledge and encourage families to communicate their experiences at the start of term.

6. Make time for unstructured play

Unstructured playtime provides children with time to process and consolidate learning. It gives them the freedom to structure their thoughts and freshen their perspective. Encourage parents to get involved in child-initiated games in the evenings. During this time, children will often share information about their day and challenge boundaries they have seen other children test at school. With so many new rules, routines and expectations, children will need space to challenge and practise these in the safety of their own home.

7. Be strict about bedtimes

Start winding back bedtime to a decent hour gradually. In mid-August, families would benefit from deciding on fair bedtimes and routines so they are not facing those exhausting negotiations after the first day back. More details on age-appropriate sleep requirements to help inform decisions can be found here.

8. Listen to hear, not to respond

There are going to be days where it is hard getting from 7am to 7pm. Teachers and parents need to accept that there will be things they cannot put right for one another at the moment, except by letting the other person vent. For example, if a child comes home tired and distressed because an activity she was enjoying was interrupted one time too many for a handwashing trip, the teacher nor the parent can change handwashing schedules and policies at this time. They can, however, listen to the child, acknowledge that what they experienced was hard for them, and comfort them with their favourite drink or book at home or introduce a new handwashing song to up the fun factor at school.

Florence Hayles is a head of EYFS and key stage 1